First Minister's Questions: As it happened on 15 February

1. Mark Drakeford faces questions from MSs, in a hybrid format due to concerns about the Omicron variant.

Hwyl fawr

The sixth FMQs of 2022 comes to a close.

Thanks for following - join us again on 1 March after next week's spring recess.

BBC

A 'just transition' to net-zero

The first minister says the Welsh Government plans a "just transition" to net-zero throughout Wales.

Liberal Democrat Jane Dodds calls on the government to "ensure that the burden of decarbonisation does not fall unequally on rural communities".

The first minister replies "I recognise that tree planting has to be the right tree in the right place, and that is an integral part of the plan that we have. It is not simply about planting any sort of tree anywhere. It's to use land that is not available for other activities that farmers can carry out in Wales, which have a commercial value, but it is to use land that is not useable in that way to grow a crop that will be to the benefit of us all as we face climate change."

BBC

Jane Dodds

End of universal credit £20 top up 'cruel'

On the end of the £20-a-week increase to universal credit, First Minister Mark Drakeford says "I cannot think of a more cruel decision, because it was a deliberate decision. It was a decision where the Government knew before they did it that this would mean there would be children in households up and down Wales who would have to go without as a result of what they did."

BBC

Mark Drakeford

Communities at risk of flooding

Plaid Cymru's Heledd Fychan points out that it is two years since Pontypridd was hit by severe flooding as flood defences were overwhelmed during record rainfall.

She says "the National Flood Forum—an organisation based in England—has existed since 2002 to ensure that communities and individuals feel supported and empowered to reduce their flood risk. It's only received modest funding to date to operate in Wales."

She calls for "the establishment of a Wales flood forum to similarly empower at risk communities in Wales".

The first minister replies, "a lot of work has been done over the past two years at a local level with funding provided by the Government here in Wales in order to help local communities to feel more resilient when these events do take place. We have an independent committee here in Wales already. It's an independent committee representing communities across Wales and which consults with government."

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Inside a flooded kitchen in Nantgarw after Storm Dennis in 2020

Rollout of the new curriculum in Wales

On the new curriculum for Wales, due to start in September, Conservative Laura Anne Jones says "we need some sort of truly national professional learning programme that provides consistency and support for all, whilst allowing that flexibility, in how to plan and deliver the correct content needed for exams".

The first minister replies "I think the Welsh Government, working with local authorities, regional consortiums, and with programme leaders as well as with Estyn are doing everything we can to make sure that the enthusiasm that is there for the new curriculum at the local school level is being supported by national frameworks, guidance that is nationally available, funding that is available nationally in all parts of Wales."

BBC

Laura Anne Jones

Cost of living

Plaid Cymru leader Adam Price welcomes the Welsh Government announcement that most households in Wales will receive a £150 payment as part of plans to tackle the rising cost of living, but questions whether the money could have been targeted better to help those most in need.

He asks, "if the organisations at the cost-of-living crisis summit you've convened on Thursday come up with better made-in-Wales alternatives, are you prepared to reconsider, improve the plans you've already announced?"

First Minister Mark Drakeford replies "the point of having a round-table is to collect new ideas and to test ideas that we have already adopted with a wide range of people from across Wales. So, we will certainly be doing that on Thursday of this week.

"I don't think that criticism of the council tax rebate in Wales is completely fair, because it's not the same approach as has been taken in England. In England, the money will be spread more thinly; here, we will provide the £150 not simply to households who pay the council tax, but we will also provide that money to the 220,000 households who are exempt from council tax because we have retained the council tax benefits system here in Wales."

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BBC

Adam Price

Britishvolt 'slipped through your fingers'

Andrew RT Davies, leader of the Welsh Conservatives in the Senedd, asks what plans the Welsh Government has to secure a "greater share of inward investment".

Mr Davies says Britishvolt "slipped through your fingers; what went wrong, first minister?"

The firm planning mass production of electric car batteries in the UK has secured UK government funding for its proposed factory in Northumberland.

Britishvolt says the so-called gigafactory in Cambois would create 3,000 jobs.

It had considered locating in St Athan in the Vale of Glamorgan.

In addition to the 3,000 people at the site, Britishvolt estimates at least another 5,000 jobs will be created in the supply chain.

First Minister Mark Drakeford replies "the Welsh Government was in conversations with Britishvolt. The St Athan site was one of the main sites that they considered. In the end, they decided that their first investment would be elsewhere. That does not mean to say that we've not had further conversations with them.

"As a company, they are ambitious to do more in the field of battery development. They continue to be in conversations with them and if it is possible to bring that development to south Wales, of course the Welsh Government remains actively interested and actively engaged in that, alongside many other opportunities."

Britishvolt

Artist impression of the Britishvolt factory, to be built in Northumberland

BBC

Andrew RT Davies

Maximise shared prosperity fund investment?

The Llywydd Elin Jones conducts a ballot to determine the names of members who may table questions to the first minister and Welsh ministers. Each member may enter their name into a ballot.

The first question today comes from Conservative Gareth Davies, who asks "how does the Welsh Government plan to maximise shared prosperity fund investment in the Vale of Clwyd?"

First Minister Mark Drakeford - who last week tested positive for coronavirus and is self-isolating - is answering the questions from his home.

He replies "the UK government was very clear that it saw no role at all for the Welsh Government in last year’s shared prosperity fund pilots, in either the design of those pilots or the decisions made within them. I hope for a different approach when the proposals for the fund are eventually published."

Gareth Davies says "my constituents have already benefited from the UK Government's levelling-up agenda. Projects in the vale had a share of nearly £3 million in the past year through the precursor to the shared prosperity fund."

What is replacing EU funds?

During the UK's membership of the EU, Wales received European money to help the economy in its poorest areas.

The cash, managed by the Welsh Government, is being slowly phased out with funding ending by next year.

After Brexit, the UK government announced it would replace this with a £2.6bn Shared Prosperity Fund.

The levelling up plans say the fund will "enable improvements to the places where people live and work".

But the Welsh Government claims that Wales will be £1bn worse off by 2024 - figures disputed by Michael Gove, the UK government's Secretary of State for Levelling Up.

A pilot scheme -the £200m Community Renewal Fund(CRF)- saw Welsh projects given nearly a quarter of the funds.

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Much of the EU cash for Wales has gone to the West Wales and the Valleys region

Tributes to Aled Roberts

Plenary begins with tributes to the Welsh Language Commissioner Aled Roberts who has died at the age of 59.

The Liberal Democrat, who died after a short illness, was leader of Wrexham council before serving as an assembly member from 2011 to 2016.

The Llywydd (presiding officer) Elin Jones says "it's fair to say that some Members can make a huge impression in a relatively brief period, and Aled was one of those.

"A parliamentarian who worked across parties, just as effective in collaborating as he was in scrutinising and challenging, and doing the collaboration and the scrutiny with courtesy and a smile. Aled Roberts was full of hope on the future of his nation and his language."

First Minister Mark Drakeford says "Aled, as a former Member, was a friend to many of us in the Senedd. Be it as leader of Wrexham council, a Member of the Senedd, or as Welsh Language Commissioner, Aled stood strongly for the principle of social justice. Throughout his professional career. Aled strove for what was important to him, and was willing to fight for fair play and equality."

Andrew RT Davies, leader of the Welsh Conservatives in the Senedd, says "Aled was a facilitator in life, whether it be the legal profession he trained to go into from Aberystwyth University or the politics he espoused. And we weren't on the same side of the aisle, but he definitely was someone who'd reach out across that aisle to reach consensus and build a better Wales."

On behalf of Plaid Cymru, Llyr Gruffydd says "we were all shaken by the loss of a sincere, warm, humorous, and very passionate man. But it was a gentle passion that Aled had—he was one who was always willing to work across party boundaries, for the benefit of his community and his nation. And that was clear, of course, from his days as leader of Wrexham council, when his door was always open for one and all.

"And of course, he gave clear leadership in terms of the Welsh language during that time, opening new Welsh-medium schools in the county, and ensuring that the Welsh language was a corporate priority for the council at that time. And having the opportunity to carry that through at a national stage, in his role as Welsh Language Commissioner, was something that I know Aled was extremely proud of."

On behalf of the Welsh Liberal Democrats, Jane Dodds says "Aled was one of the kindest, friendliest and most hard-working people that I and others ever met. Aled made a major contribution to the political life of Wales, and to the communities that he served.

"Rhosllanerchrugog ran through him like a stick of rock. And while we're all familiar with Aled's political career—in Ponciau ward, a mayor, and leader of Wrexham council, or as a Member of the Senedd for North Wales—it was the community of Rhosllanerchrugog, and his family, that came first every time."

BBC

Aled Roberts was a Lib Dem AM from 2011 to 2016

Croeso

Hello and welcome to our live coverage of the sixth session of First Minister's Questions in 2022.

The meeting is being held n a hybrid format, with some members in the Siambr (Senedd chamber) and others joining by video-conference.